The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-09-06


heart contracting with Q spasm OF dread,
aperhaps a letter was stolen from me despite
INV caution, and perhaps it was the one for
which Nine. Andre is looking"
Reassuring the unhappy woman as best he
could and promising 70 seek her husband and
nut him ON his guard as soon rs he reached
the city, he FASTENED to depart, oppressed by
a feeling of pain and terror which he could
not explain even to himself. Unfortunately,
the circuit that day was unusually long, ana
in spite of the activity with which he leaped
the hedges and bitches and plunged through
the swollen streams he was behind time when
be reached the parish Office.
GYes.- answered the receiver, to whom he
had gone at onos OIL his arrival; there was
letter for Nine Andre, and you carried 1t
ont. Moreover" his colleague continued,
ssor,e one has been here at every mail asking
the same question"
All this was a thunderbolt to Father Mar
IN. for he saw at once that the responsibility
| ior what might occur rested upon h!ni' on'.
r,,ou him alone He flew rather than ran To
| the carriage stand which made the service
between the railroad station and the city.
George Andre had arrived and departed Inn
me,iiately afoot for his village home. Martin
i
prospect of a catastrophe. for which he
alone was TO blame. rose up before him like
nightmare. He could zee nothing but tne
snguished face of the frightened wife, the
| wondering ewes of the two little children,
and this man, this loving husband and
father, returning with heart full OF JOY TO
meet death almost on his threshold, and
through the fault of his friend Martin, the
poStman!
He hesitated not an instant. not even long
enough 10 enter his own house; he must be AT
the crossing of the Burned Mill road before
Andre could possibly arrive there.
Those who saw him passing absorbed III
thought. and seemingly unconscious OF every
thing about him, watched him wOnderingly'
What grave affair could provoke sucn
breathless speed from man who had but JUS
returned from his route worn out with fatigue
and hurryl A fourth Of the distance from
the mill he learned that Andre had passed
some time ago, the joy Of return lending wing
to his feet as the hope of averting mlsfor
4 time had lent wings to the feet OF MARTIN
Nevertheless he was far i'm advance or TN
postman unless he cut across the country ane
: made directly, regardless OF obstacles, 10
. the old mill itself, more difficult and dan
q gerous path to pursue, Of course, but ina
4 matter ed little if it brought him there first.
Making all haste he could, night had failel
4 | when Martin arrived at the place, truly
: propitious spot for an ambush mario" GU
q between high entertainments, on both SIDES o
!. | which clusters of trees and shrubbery torIne'
= an impenetrable shade. Every moment ny
: ing clouds fioated across the face OF the moon
n whose pallid rays shining through the veliin
| mist still more increased the sinister aspect Q
q the landscape. Suddenly the noise OF an ar
= preaching footStep caught Martins ear.
n was. of course, George Andre coming, an
after all his hurry only five minutes benin
4 him. He would go to meet him
a All at once there was binding flash,
"a sharp report, and as Martin dropped 10 "a
. earth. a ball through his lungs, heavy site
a descended upon the head Of his ASSASSIN, an
~ he lay beside his victim, hfelesS-
n Mime. Andre, unable to overcome her ner'
"A business, bad gone to meet her husband. II
a turning quietly by n cross path that led tnei
4 behind the hill, the strange behavior OF
man crouching in the undergrowth-a ma
~ who his wife insisted was no other than Jea
80 Bruno himself-had caught Andres attel
an ton. The rest We know.
w sHe has died for you, George. said MN
"A Andre, sadly, as leaning over the prosera
r. BODY, they saw by the cap and uniform th
a it was their friend the postman.
But Martin was not dead. He lived, d
only long enough to tell them how the lett
he which apprised Nine. Andre of her husband
4 coming had been stolen from him, and ho'
a. determined TO avert the consequence OF ev'
II an unintentional breach of duty, he III
fastened TO the mill.
re- Through my fault, be murnured, "yo
nd life was imperied; it was right that mi
he should be given in atonement. A nome
W. later Martin was dead!-Translated Tor i
a Cincinnati Enquirer from the French OF Lol
re- Collas, by E. c. Waggener.